Guidance now available on procedural and operational preparedness to assure a safe terminal handling of LNG-fuelled vessels.
Experts from an IAPH working group have compiled, completed and published its LNG Ready Terminal guidance tool.
It details procedures and operational preparedness actions of terminals to assure a safe handling of LNG-fuelled vessels, including a safe ship-to-ship bunkering of LNG-fuelled vessels alongside the terminal.
It is the latest in a series of tools designed by IAPH member experts to equip port authorities with the necessary instruments to ensure safe bunkering of LNG in response to the increasing uptake of LNG-fuelled newbuild and retrofitted vessels calling at their ports. This is thanks to the work of the IAPH Clean Marine Fuels (CMF) working group participants of thirteen member ports. The tools all are the result of translating the concepts of system safety, spatial allocation and operational safety into practical instruments.
Port of Rotterdam's Cees Boon, lead on the LNG Ready Terminal tool, offered his thanks to the cooperation with the terminal operators and commented: “This sought-after tool is now available for ports to use and completes the IAPH suite of tools for LNG bunkering”.
The tools have been developed over an eight-year time period during which LNG-fuelled vessels have become an increasingly-familiar site at ports, with first bunkering operations taking place from truck to vessel since 2012. The trend is now pointing towards ship-to-ship bunkering, with numerous terminals in Europe, Asia and North America looking at hosting both visiting and resident LNG bunker barges and vessels.
The Clean Marine Fuels working group will now be focusing on applying relevant knowhow gained from developing licensing, audit and bunker checklist tools to upcoming alternative fuels.
Peter Alkema, Chair of the Clean Marine Fuels working group commented : “We have a good mix of experts from Europe, the Americas and Asia who have been working together for some time on highly technical projects destined for IAPH member ports looking to serve vessels with alternatives to heavy fuel oil. By working together as international ports, and by cooperating with other environmental initiatives in the maritime industry such as the Getting to Zero coalition, IMO Green Voyage and the World Ports Climate Action Program, we are driven to advance the maritime industry’s transition towards cleaner fuels.”
Contact details for story :
Victor Shieh - Communications Partner, World Ports Sustainability Program
email : victor.shieh@sustainableworldports.org
*Photograph courtesy of Port of Rotterdam and Ries van Wendel de Joode/HBR
Source : Port of Rotterdam
About IAPH (iaphworldports.org)
Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organisations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, encouraging international cooperation between all partners involved in the maritime supply chain. WPSP (sustainableworldports.org) covers five main areas of collaboration: energy transition, resilient infrastructure, safety and security, community outreach and governance.